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[This FAQ page may be re-printed for your personal reference and non-commercial use.]

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SAFETY FIRST: Experienced direct adult supervision is strongly advised during any installation or use of outdoor products. Follow manufacturer care and assembly instructions for best results.

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KNOW THIS: Outdoor activities including general recreational camping, paddling, lake towing, skiing, climbing, and snow sledding can be dangerous -- even FATAL.

Examples: Shallow water "divers" and trekking too quickly on wet surfaces (you can drown in very little water if you're unconscious -- rocks, swimming pool cement, boat docks and heads don't mix) .. Drunken, drugged, and/or tired paddlers .. Riverside low campers (caught in flash floods) .. Winter wilderness hikers (caught frozen) .. Summer wilderness hikers (caught lost) .. Lack of fresh air and toxic use from heaters & stoves in tents and RV's -- cook outdoors or under a fully vented annex/vestibule, and leave the lanterns & stoves outside .. Too much sun, stings, bites, bears (no food in or near the tent), bullets .. Non-swimmers (take lessons, and LEARN TO SWIM) .. Tents ablaze from too-close pitching near the campfire .. Tent poles and ground stakes into power lines (look up, know where you're digging, and stay clear) .. Wrong tent in the wrong place at the wrong time (get a heavier, full-fly, 3+ season model for windy climes, WATCH THE WEATHER, break camp and take other cover as appropriate) .. Hot and exhausted (swimmers, paddlers, hikers, bikers, runners, kids, the out of shape, the medically questionable) .. Sharps around the face/body/kids (poles, prods, rods, lures, knives, sticks, stones, stakes, utensils) .. Paddlers (of any skill level) on the wrong water .. Over-loaded boats .. Half-frozen winter ponds .. Lack/non-use/mis-use of life vests, helmets, rescue ropes, signals, fire, water, food, clothing, hard shelter, shade, high ground -- and slow caution. Not the only risk areas, but frequent -- and often AVOIDABLE.

Some of the most tragic cases are, sadly, becoming far too common: Camping in flash flood prone areas, where some or all family members are swept away ... Leaking gas stoves and lanterns in poorly ventilated tents and RV's, killing entire families ... Kids diving into shallow water and getting knocked out -- unseen by others nearby -- and carried dead for miles downstream ... Little kids and novices getting off marked trails and freezing, or being attacked by animal -- or inhuman human -- predators.

= Know the conditions (get current information before and during your trip). Try taking a GPS device, cell phone, and weather radio. Use a compass, bring a good recent map!

= Realize your limitations and the limitations of your equipment, particularly on variable or unknown terrain/waters. USE REASONABLE, ADULT COMMON SENSE. Most general recreational (i.e. non-Himalayan use) tents and screen shelters are for moderate, low wind, low risk situations -- they are not severe weather rooms. Camp where you can take other, hard cover in an emergency.

Our suggested maximum packed weight for teen and adult size internal frame backpacks is about 30 (thirty) lbs. If you intend to carry more than that in the wilderness, an external frame pack with a heavier suspension system and load capacity is advised. Check with local Scout and outdoor trekking group web sites for other tips on backpack sizes, designs, and capacity selection, as prudent pre-purchase research.

= USE SAFETY GEAR, properly: PFD's (a-k-a life vests), throw bags, paddle floats, helmets, location whistles, signal mirrors, space blankets, First Aid kits, spare stakes and guy-out lines, weather radios, maps -- these and more are essential to most safe ventures. Check with your area paddle or boating club, U.S. Forest Service, Scouts, Red Cross, Coast Guard unit, and college rec programs for further information on outdoor gear use and safety measures -- BEFORE YOUR TRIP.

Children and novices in particular must be carefully supervised by experienced and responsible adult outdoor leaders, AT ALL TIMES.

= USER ACCIDENT OR MISHAP IS NOT A WARRANTY ITEM, under any circumstances, including gear abuse, mis-use, exceeding of normal product limits, and/or acts of nature (winds, hail, tree branches, animals as examples). Know that expert paddlers and outdoors-people can be and have been harmed (including death), even under good conditions.

Play It Smart & Safe, Have A Fun Adventure

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